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CO/XO of a cutter then flight school
- Thread starter SamAca10
- Start date
Yes - It happens. Two of the pilots I've flown with here - 1) Did a boat tour and an MSST tour and then went to flight school. The other did a boat tour, then an boat XO tour, then flight school.
It is not a deal breaker, but (this is personal opinion developed from discussion with a wide variety of folks) it puts you at a bit of a timing disadvantage compared to others (direct to fliggth school and first toour to flight school) because the LCDR board is all at the same time and your pilot year group mates will be IP's and on a second tour and you will be an AC on your first tour. Totally do-able, but it might require a department head tour as you upgrade or just after upgrade to AC...which can be more stressful than the other new ACs at your unit have it. (That was total opinion and folks have done it, so it IS possible)
It is not a deal breaker, but (this is personal opinion developed from discussion with a wide variety of folks) it puts you at a bit of a timing disadvantage compared to others (direct to fliggth school and first toour to flight school) because the LCDR board is all at the same time and your pilot year group mates will be IP's and on a second tour and you will be an AC on your first tour. Totally do-able, but it might require a department head tour as you upgrade or just after upgrade to AC...which can be more stressful than the other new ACs at your unit have it. (That was total opinion and folks have done it, so it IS possible)
I admit that "other-service" priorities will always be a mystery to me, and the comment above about timing for O-4 selection certainly merits thoughtful consideration, BUT…I would be very surprised (may I say disappointed?) if the "whole person/whole career" thing doesn't trump community timing. To be a USCG Naval Aviator with a successful cutter CO/XO tour in your jacket would seem to be the best of all worlds… "The Force is STRONG in this one…"
But that's just me...
But that's just me...
I would probably vote in the "It will help, not hurt" side of things. It is only a two year tour, so you would be starting flight school at 4 years of service, vice 2. That isn't very long, and if you do well at being a skipper it will be a plus in your record AND you will have had command AND you will have been selected in a difficult screening process. It doesn't happen that often, because there aren't a ton of LTJG skippers running around.